Do 5ARIs or alpha blockers more effectively reduce the risk of BPH-related acute urinary retention and surgery?
Christopher R Chapple
Correspondence Department of Urology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
Email c.r.chapple@sheffield.ac.uk
This article has no abstract so we have provided the first paragraph of the full text.
Pharmacotherapy is currently considered optimal first-line treatment for all patients with mild to moderate LUTS indicative of bladder-outlet obstruction related to BPH. The paper by Boyle et al. reports the results of a retrospective cohort analysis of 4,500 patients derived from the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). GPRD data have to be carefully interpreted using a clearly defined glossary of terms such that all descriptors for patients falling into the 'BPH' category are encompassed. Currently, there is no international consensus on the definition of BPH. Therefore, a study based on GPRD data will sample a heterogeneous population diagnosed by clinical interpretation of clinical symptoms. Confounding variables include inadequate and incomplete data on prostate size and PSA, limited data on concomitant surgery and medication that might cause retention, and poorly defined coexisting medical conditions—a situation that reflects 'real life' clinical practice.
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